Monday, February 5

Bob Hill: Just Fire Me Already

In 1969, Swiss-born psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross outlined the five stages of grief. In the midst of the longest death-watch in NBA history, it appears Seattle Supersonics coach Bob Hill has arrived at the final stage, Acceptance:

About an hour before the start of the Sonics' 107-101 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, Hill gave a soliloquy about the realities of being an NBA coach.

"I look at my position very realistically,'' said Hill, in his ninth season as an NBA coach. "You know, when you get fired, you don't die. You don't die.''

I love Bob Hill. He's a great, old-school coach who says what he thinks, which is a rarity in today's NBA. He gave Sonics fans a glimmer of hope last season when he did the impossible: he made Robert Swift look like an NBA player. Hill has been pummeled this year with adversities of biblical proportions. That's why I want the Sonics to fire him.

Hill deserves better than this. The ax was raised the day the Sonics were sold down the river to Big Boy Bennett. Let it fall already.

11 comments:

Anonymous
said...

if the point is to lose games (like you guys say on this site), why fire bob? the only good that can come out of his firing is if they promote sikma or det who arent ready to be head coaches, and lose even more games! :-D

Let's get this straight--only Pete thinks we should lose games. I'm on record saying I want to win, just to stick it to the man, and Raf (the third member of our power-trio) is silent (but deadly, like Dale Ellis) on the subject.

I disagree, dumping Hill doesn't help anyone. Now, we're paying a coach we're not using, plus somebody else. It's not as if Hill is a hot commodity on the coaching market right now. If/when the Sonics fire him, I doubt sincerely he'll ever get another head coaching gig again, unless he backs in as an assistant. Not that he's a bad coach - I actually think he's done a good job for the Sonics this year considering the situation - but sometimes guys get labeled, and Hill is definitely labeled now.

In other words, to cut my long-winded diatribe short, firing Hill doesn't help Hill and it doesn't help the Sonics. What's the point?

i don't understand why you guys are so interested in winning this year...i guess i'd understand if we had a chance at the playoffs, but, seriously, we're the next-to-worst team in the entire conference. I think the odds of the sonics making the playoffs has got to be around 1,000:1 right now, and would anyone here be willing to take that bet?

Since we have no idea whether the team will stay or go, shouldn't we just keep hoping for the best for the franchise and let the relocation chips fall where they may? The best thing for the Sonics franchise is to lose as many games as they can in the next couple of months, so that's what I'm rooting for?

Anybody else see Bill Simmons' column today about teams tanking the season? I agree with him 100%. I just hope the Grizzlies don't find a way to trade Gasol ... unless it's to Seattle, that is.

Actually, that not a bad idea… How about Gasol for Wilkins, Watson, and Wilcox.

Let’s face it... as lottery picks are concerned, Boston, Grizzlies, and 76ers’ are in the drivers seat and we pretty far out of the top two spots. Outside of Oden or Durant; I do not see anyone worth “tanking” for. Besides if we do this trade and still get the 4-8 seat in the draft, will have a decent front court with Gasol, whoever we draft (Brandan Wright, Joakim Noah, Spencer Hawes, Al Horford), and Collison.

I love the idea of getting Gasol; I thought about sending Lewis, Watson and Fortson to get him and Cardinal. The Sonics have to make a splash, and this way the Grizzlies get out from under Cardinal's deal, pick up an all-star small forward, a point guard, and an expiring contract.

According to reports, the Griz are looking at getting this from the Bulls:

To me, the Sonics' deal is better. Lewis is as good or better than Deng or Gordon, Watson is better than Sefolosha, and Fortson/Brown are equivalent. If the Sonics have to throw in a 2009 first-rounder, do it (they may have to add Petro or Sene to relieve the front-court clusterf***).

There is no reason for the Sonics to have both Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour on the same team, and beyond that it is obvious that while Luke Ridnour is not starting right now, he is the better of the two and better for the Sonics. Any trade options the Sonics have should definitely include Earl Watson.

i have read your articals it so goodand if you want more message you may get related articals.This articles, and other information on trading by John Forman,

who wrote The Essentials of Trading. John’s been in the markets for almost 20 years. He publishes his thoughts about trading (mostly educational), provides reviews of books and other trading related stuff, and posts information on his trading education work.